Security

Information on current and proposed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) programs such as the large aircraft security program, twelve-five program, private charter program and general aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Learn more.

Security News

Aug. 11, 2017The TSA recently revised its Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airport Operators and Users, which promotes a risk-based approach to general aviation security. The document was updated as a collaborative effort between NBAA and other general aviation stakeholders, and the TSA. The guidelines provide recommended actions for general aviation airport operators and users to mitigate possible security risks. Learn more about the revised guidelines.

Feb. 17, 2017Ensuring the safety of passengers and crew doesn't end when an aircraft reaches its destination. All parties must then be delivered securely to their final stop – a task that can be more challenging when traveling internationally. The factors that go into choosing ground transportation option are the subject of a March 13 panel discussion to be held at NBAA's 2017 International Operators Conference. Learn three security considerations from the experts.

Jan. 26, 2017Nearly 100 business aviation security professionals attended the first-ever NBAA Security
Conference. Attendees heard from industry-recognized experts in aviation law, security regulations and
security best practices, as well as government officials, about the changing landscape of security in
aviation. “We are pleased with the attendance for a first-year conference, which attracted professionals
with a wide range of experience – from people new to the security role in their flight department to
seasoned experts,” said Sarah Wolf, NBAA’s senior manager of security and facilitation, liaison to the
NBAA Security Council. “This range of experience enabled attendees to learn from one another and
introduced individuals new to the security role to resources within the industry.” Learn more about the NBAA Security Conference..

Nov. 10, 2016Business aircraft buyers and sellers may be at risk of fraud and other cybercrimes during aircraft sales transactions, according to experts. FBI Special Agent Chad Knapp said that parties of an aircraft transaction may be vulnerable to cybercrime because these transactions are often international, typically involve large sums of money and frequently occur on short notice. "Brokers, and others involved in the transaction, are often small businesses with no established IT department," said Knapp. "In the day-to-day operations of these small to mid-sizes business, they are just not necessarily aware of the threats out there. Some malicious actors have discovered and targeted this type of business." Learn more.

Nov. 7, 2016Last week, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen met with TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger to discuss two topics important to business aviation – possible modification of the protocols for access to Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC, and development of a contingency plan for continued general aviation operations should a major security event occur. Read more about the meeting.

Aug. 31, 2016Some NBAA members have recently been subject to sophisticated attacks delivered via email in a tactic called phishing. "Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated," said Todd Wormington, NBAA's director of information technology. "It takes diligence and awareness to prevent private information from being compromised." Always be wary of messages urgently asking for sensitive information, confirm an email is legitimate before opening attachments and read what else you can do to thwart phishing attacks. Learning more about protecting yourself from phishing scams.

July 4, 2016Advances in technology have improved the safety and efficiency of business aviation in many ways. However, increased reliance on digital tools in the cockpit, flight department and the companies that support business aircraft operations also place aircraft and passengers at increased risk. Learn four steps to cyber security and more in the July/August 2016 edition of Business Aviation Insider.

June 13, 2016It's easy these days for even cyber-savvy people to fall victim to internet security threats, noted Josh Wheeler, manager, training operations with Satcom Direct. For example, he said, an FBO advertises free wifi, and you connect – without a password – to what looks like a network with a name similar to the FBOs. But the unprotected network isn't connected with the FBO, and the user's data is compromised. In this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast, sponsored by Jet Quest, Wheeler shares three tips for keeping data secure in the air and on the ground.

April 13, 2016The future of your flight operation may depend on your ability to secure flight manifests, as well as destination and point-of-origin information, according to leading cybersecurity expert Shay Colson, CEO of Colson Research in Bellingham, WA. "If you can tell who's going where, when, for how long and how many times, there are all sorts of things you can learn," said Colson, who suggested that the best way a flight department can protect itself is to strengthen its standard operating procedures. By creating procedures that limit access, eliminate out-of-date email addresses and establish protocol for transmitting sensitive information, Colson said many of the doors used by hackers can be wholly or partially blocked. Learn more about protecting your flight manifest.

Aug. 10, 2015The NBAA Security Council is developing new resources to help Member Companies manage technology security threats and educate aviation department personnel on these concerns, including privacy issues raised by ADS-B equipage and other new technologies. "The Security Council acknowledges the potential threats associated with the use of some avionics and other technology, and will be developing best practices for use of technology in aviation departments," said Sarah Wolf, a certified aviation manager who is NBAA's senior manager of security and facilitation. "Included in these threats are potential loss of privacy, laser attacks and even possible hacking of aircraft avionics." Read more about plans for NBAA's new security resources.

July 1, 2015There are a number of steps business aviation operators can take to ensure their security, especially when traveling overseas, when flight security is at a premium. For example, flight-plan data for European missions is available on a subscription basis from Eurocontrol's Network Manager Operations Center, and FBOs, catering companies and other businesses use that data to find customers. There are a number of steps operators can take to keep their aircraft movements more secure in such situations, and one of the simplest is avoiding the use of an N-number that points people directly to your company, said Greg Kulis, an international business jet captain and former chairman of NBAA's Security Council. Learn more tips for making your business flights secure.

June 22, 2015Government security clearance is not necessary to find vital information about country conditions and potential threats before traveling overseas, according to experts. "You don't need a clearance," said Centennial Airport Executive Director Robert Olislagers, who is also a subject matter expert for the Aviation Security Advisory Committee. "But security generally isn't cheap, and good information is sometimes hard to come by. The biggest problem is that there is good information spread across 20 or more Internet sites. They're good resources, but our goal is to provide a central resource." Learn more about obtaining overseas security information in this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast.

June 17, 2015Richard Gomez, MedAire’s vice president of aviation education products worldwide, encourages all flight crewmembers to be prepared for the reality of traveling globally, and that includes knowing how to stay safe when abroad. “Personal security is a personal responsibility,” said Gomez. “Your company can provide security training and research hotels, but it’s really about personal security awareness.” Gomez, along with international security expert Walid Phares, will discuss security threats and provide key tips for layover safety and personal travel security at the upcoming Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Conference (FAFT2015), set for June 30 to July 2 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, AZ. Read more about FAFT2015.

Nov. 17, 2014NBAA, along with other aviation interests, participated earlier this month in the 14th Annual Aviation Security Summit, hosted by the American Association of Airport Executives in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). While the summit was primarily focused on airport and airline issues, NBAA’s Senior Manager of Security and Facilitation Sarah Wolf identified five key topics of interest for business aircraft operators. Review the list of key security topics.

Sept. 8, 2014
With Customs and Border Protection (CBP) subjecting more international travelers to electronic and biometric data collection, incoming international general aviation flights at many commercial airports have been directed to taxi to airline gates, where CPB had its data collection equipment available. In an attempt to accommodate the needs of international GA arrivals, CBP developed a comprehensive set of facility standards known as the airport technical design standards (ATDS), which define the criteria for construction of customs facilities on the GA side of the airport. Over the past three years, approximately 15 ATDS facilities have been built. Another 14 or so are under construction, and approximately 18 are either in the proposal or design phase. Listen to this week's NBAA Flight Plan podcast for more on CBP facilities for general aviation.

May 2, 2014In a letter to Sens. John "Jay" D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and John Thune (R-SD), NBAA and several other industry groups expressed strong support for S. 1893, the Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act, and S.1804, the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act. The Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act would help streamline the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) acquisition process and allow for better congressional oversight of TSA resources. The Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act, would permanently establish an Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), and create a permanent general aviation security subcommittee within the ASAC. Versions of these bills have already passed the House of Representatives. Read more about NBAA’s support of these two bills.

Jan. 10, 2013A recent spate of attacks throughout southwestern Russia, attributed by the Russian government to extremist groups in the North Caucasus region, has underscored the need for security vigilance for those planning to be in Sochi during next month's 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, which run from Feb. 7 to 23. According to Jerri Banks, team manager for the Echo, Large Aircraft and Team Europe teams at Universal Weather and Aviation: "Our primary focus ahead of the games has been with providing our clients with the proper security briefings for the region. Since the attacks, however, many of our clients have inquired about significantly upgraded security arrangements." Read more about increased security ahead of the Sochi Olympics.

Dec. 9, 2013NBAA welcomed recent passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R.1204, the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2013, which would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to permanently establish an Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), a government/industry group that collaborates on security policies. NBAA strongly supports the legislation as it will as it will codify the existing ASAC (on which NBAA participates), and requires the TSA to consult with the ASAC on aviation security matters. It also requires the ASAC to develop recommendations to improve aviation security when requested to do so by the TSA. Learn more about the bill.

August 27, 2013Companies often focus on social media as a marketing tool, but applications like Facebook, Instagram
and Twitter present unique challenges for business aviation, especially to corporate and personal security. Many social media applications let users set security or privacy settings, but these methods might not be 100 percent effective, cautioned Charlie LeBlanc, vice president of security services at FrontierMEDEX and chairman of NBAA's Security Council. "As a society we have become familiar with sharing ourselves on social media and feeling as though we are protected, when in reality it takes a third grader with basic hacking abilities to break through the privacy settings of most social media applications. We have an unfounded presumption of privacy." Read more about privacy in the social media age.

February 11, 2013The need for continued vigilance in protecting general aviation from security threats has been underscored by the recent release of an advisory from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which called for heightened awareness amidst a comprehensive manhunt for former California police officer and accused killer Christopher Dorner. "It is believed that Dorner received flight training during his time in the U.S. Navy, but the extent of his potential flying skills is unknown," TSA's advisory notes. While there is no specific information at this time that Dorner is considering the use of general aviation to evade law enforcement, TSA requests that operators increased alertness, and refresh their familiarity with existing TSA security guidelines for GA. Read more about the TSA's advisory.

June 22, 2012
NBAA Vice President, Safety, Security, Operations & Regulation Doug Carr will speak on July 18
before the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Transportation Security
at a hearing titled "A Decade After 9/11 Could American Flight Schools Still Unknowingly Be
Training Terrorists?" Carr will provide industry observations regarding TSA’s work to maintain
security over flight schools that train foreign citizens in the United States. NBAA also views
the hearing as an opportunity to educate committee lawmakers about the many measures
implemented by the general aviation community to harden the industry from terrorist threats,
many of which have been the direct result of cooperation between the industry and TSA. Read
more about the hearing.

June 22, 2012
NBAA welcomes the appointment of John W. Halinski as the new deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), effective July 1. Halinski succeeds Gale Rossides, who is retiring after 34 years in public service, including 10 years at the TSA. Halinski previously served as the TSA's assistant administrator for the Office of Global Strategies, where he worked primarily with foreign countries and international aviation groups to develop security policy. "NBAA has worked with John on several occasions as we've prepared for the high-level security conferences that take place at ICAO and at other international security events, to ensure that the uniqueness of general aviation (GA) in the United States is not lost in the international arena," said Doug Carr, NBAA vice president of safety, security, operations & regulation. Read more about Halinski’s appointment.

March 19, 2011
The TSA has issued guidance for Part 125 and Part 135 certificate holders conducting operations under the Private Charter Standard Security Program (PCSSP) and the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program (TFSSP) and carrying candidates for federal elected office. In these cases, the U.S. Secret Service assumes responsibility for all security related to the flight and directs which security measures the operator must follow. To receive a copy of the letter, please contact NBAA's Doug Carr at dcarr@nbaa.org.

September 19, 2011
When Raymond Benjamin, the secretary general of the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization, addressed a recent four-day security summit in Montreal, he noted that while much has been done to harden aviation from security vulnerabilities since the terror attacks of 9/11, one key yet frequently overlooked concern is the threat of identity theft. "We first need to sharpen our focus on preventing identity fraud as we maintain our traditional emphasis on document security," Benjamin told conferees. This edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast has experts' tips for preventing identity theft during travel. Learn more.

August 15, 2011
While the U.S. government, in cooperation with numerous other nations, has destroyed more than 32,500 Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) in more than 30 countries since 2003, these highly mobile, shoulder-mounted, surface-to-air weapons remain a threat worldwide to aviation interests, according to a new report issued in July by the U.S. State Department entitled, "MANPADS: Combating the Threat to Global Aviation from Man-Portable Air Defense Systems." Learn more.

June 27, 2011
Have you ever found yourself surrounded by strangers in a strange place, unable to understand the
language or the customs? Were you worried about your safety in those surroundings? That is often
the case for the increasing number of women on either side of the cockpit door in business aviation.
Jo Damato, NBAA's Director of Operations and Educational Development, is out to change that with
a webinar scheduled for June 28 entitled "Women's Safety and Security: Threat Mitigation for the
Traveling Female." Learn more, or listen to an episode of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast focusing on the
issue.

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Composed of security professionals and representatives from all facets of business aviation, the NBAA Security Council provides the Membership with advice and guidance on matters relating to business aviation security. Learn more.